Chechnya foreign minister

Japan is asking universities for greater scrutiny of foreign students and scholars to prevent technology leaks to places like China, partly for its own national security but also to safeguard exchanges with U.S. and European universities. While many Western countries have measures to prevent espionage on their campuses with strict screening and penalties for breaches, experts say Japan has been a weak link given its often-unchecked embrace of foreign students. A string of U.S. arrests of Chinese academics in recent years over suspicion of spying was a wake-up call for Japan, officials say. "Around the world, export controls are getting more stringent on foreign nations like China," said a Japanese trade ministry official who helps colleges develop ways to monitor high-risk technology transfers and students. "We want Japanese universities to be trusted for their security and trade controls so that joint research with the United States or Europe can continue," said the official, … [Read more...] about With eye on China, and U.S. ties, Japan’s universities to screen foreigners

"The United States and Japan, together with 11 other nations will be launching" the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, or IPEF, Biden said at a press conference alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. "This framework is a commitment to working with our close friends and partners in the region on challenges that matter most to ensuring economic competitiveness in the 21st century," he said. Biden was due to make a formal rollout of the framework later Monday. He did not say what countries had already signed up to IPEF, which the White House is billing as a framework for what will ultimately become a tight-knit group of trading nations. Unlike traditional trade blocs, there is no plan for IPEF members to negotiate tariffs and ease market access -- a tool that has become increasingly unpalatable to U.S. voters fearful of undermining homegrown manufacturing. Instead, the program foresees integrating partners through agreed standards in four main areas: the … [Read more...] about Biden says 13 countries to join new Asia-Pacific trade framework

At his meeting with British Cabinet Minister and President for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) Alok Sharma, Khai said that Vietnam has been implementing many overall and comprehensive measures in the field of energy transition and growth model transformation towards a green and circular direction to realise commitments made at COP26. The official underlined that ensuring energy security for growth and reducing emissions at the same time is a very complicated problem that requires the support of the international community in terms of resources, technology, and governance capacity. Therefore, he said that Vietnam hopes that the UK, the European Union (EU) and other member states of the Group of Seven (G7) will soon make specific commitments to supporting Vietnam in this area. For his part, Sharma held that Vietnam has made a proper decision to announce the net-zero emission commitment at the COP26, lauding Vietnam’s efforts to realise the commitments, … [Read more...] about Deputy PM busy on threshold of WEF meeting

Hanoi (VNA) - The following is a list of selected news summaries last weekend by Vietnam News Agency. - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had an online meeting with voters in nine districts of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho on May 21, ahead of the third session of the 15th National Assembly. Voters at the event expressed their approval of the Government’s drastic and effective measures in COVID-19 prevention and control, and the country’s socio-economic recovery and development. Read full story - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended a ceremony marking the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai’s 90th founding anniversary held in Pleiku City on May 21 evening. He said Gia Lai should make renewable energy a key economic sector and pay more attention to developing tourism and processing industries. The leader also asked Gia Lai to go towards sustainable development planning, effectively mobilise social resources for infrastructure development, zone off hi-tech farming areas, … [Read more...] about ☀️ Morning digest on May 23

Speakers at last week’s conference noted that dozens upon dozens of multinationals are interested in the healthcare PPP model in Vietnam. Photo: Chi Cuong At last week’s conference on the issue, hosted by VIR , Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Duy Dong said that Vietnam’s healthcare sector is facing a number of big issues, including rising infectious and non-communicable disease figures, hospital overload, and an ageing population. The pandemic has also revealed some weaknesses in the sector. “To further improve healthcare service quality and meet demand, mobilising financial resources for new development of infrastructure and medical equipment is a key requirement,” he noted. For the past five years, the government has looked to strengthen the implementation of a model for public-private partnerships (PPPs) for the public sector, including in healthcare services. However, according to VIR’s editor-in-chief Le Trong Minh, the picture of such investment in … [Read more...] about More favourable rule system urged for healthcare PPPs

Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai (first on the left) is investigating the construction site of Provincial Road No.910 in Can Tho City. (Photo: SGGP) The Transport Ministry reported that the land compensation step in the first stage of the mega North-South Expressway project has finished. However, some technical infrastructure has not been fully moved. The total expense for construction until now has reached VND20,087 billion ($867 million), accounting for 35.4 percent of the contract value, and 0.7 percent later than the planned one. The disbursement volume for the four projects to be completed this year is 53.4 percent of the contract value, which is 2.6 percent later than expected. In the Southern region, the 21-kilometer coastal road project from Rach Gia City to Hon Dat District of Kien Giang Province has the total investment of VND600 billion ($26 million), and is planned to complete two years after its commencement date of January 2020. Since the construction work is … [Read more...] about VN determinedly stops slow public investment projects

Deputy Prime Minister Lê Minh Khái meets WEF President Borge Brende on the sidelines of the 52nd World Economic Forum. —VNA/VNS Photo GENEVA — Deputy Prime Minister Lê Minh Khái on May 22 held several bilateral meetings with leaders of international organisations and businesses during his trip to Geneva to attend the 52nd World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting. At his meeting with British Cabinet Minister and President for the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) Alok Sharma, Khái said that Việt Nam had been implementing many overall and comprehensive measures in the field of energy transition and growth model transformation towards a green and circular direction to realise commitments made at COP26. The official underlined that ensuring energy security for growth and reducing emissions at the same time was a very complicated problem that would require the support of the international community in terms of resources, technology, and governance capacity. … [Read more...] about Deputy PM busy with meetings on threshold of WEF summit

The challenge would be huge for localities and Government agencies to fully disburse the public investment funds for this year. The government’s task force groups are now working with provinces/cities and ministries to accelerate public investment, seen as an urgent task to ensure economic recovery. The construction of the Eastern North-South expressway, section Phan Thiet - Giau Day. Photo: Phuoc Tuan Data from the Ministry of Finance (MoF) revealed the disbursement of public investment funds in the first five months of 2022 stood at a modest rate of 22.37%, of which the disbursement of domestic funds accounted for 23.53%, and that of foreign capital at 6.26%. The MoF added 41 out of 51 Government ministries and 21 from 63 provinces/cities posted disbursement rates below 20%, including five ministries with no disbursement at all. Meanwhile, localities pointed to unfavorable weather conditions, difficulties in site clearance or rising construction … [Read more...] about Public investment identified as urgent task for economic recovery: Gov’t